PLEASE READ!!!You must incorporate some info from the two papers I have already wrote. I have already included them.Reality, Art, and Truth.This 6-8 page essay assignment will be completed in three pa

The Socratic Method

Akiki K. Gover

South University Online

PHI2301 Introduction to Philosophy SU02

Professor: Jena Jolissaint

08/16/2018

What is the Socratic Method

“As developed and used by Socrates, the dialectic was a method of arriving at truth or of revealing falsity by persistent questioning. Socrates believed that by clarifying the use of terms and following each thought to its logical conclusion it would be possible to arrive at certainty. The method of dialectic draws out what is true and unmasks what is false. Conducted in the public eye, it is an essential tool for separating what can be relied upon from what cannot” (Mitchell, 2015, p.30). It is said that Socrates assisted in the “birth of ideas, that Socrates contended that ideas already exist in our minds and a skillful questioner can bring to consciousness what we may not even realize we know” (Mitchell, 2015, p. 28).

To me, Socrates used this method to try and make people think outside the box. Make them question their own current thoughts/beliefs/knowledge. Bring about more truth or information to what one thought they already knew all about. Many enemies were gained this way as well, as they did not approve of Socrates making them look like fools in front of prominent citizens.

In Meno, “Socrates demonstrates a great example of the dialectic. There is a young, Greek slave boy whom is not very educated. Socrates uses this young man to prove a point to one of his friends. Socrates wants to prove to his friend Menon that “there is no such thing as teaching, only remembering.” Socrates goes about proving his point by asking several simple questions only dealing with the problem at hand. The problem was, “If a 2-foot by 2-foot space is 4 square feet, what must be the dimensions of an 8-square-foot space?” (Mitchell, 2015) Of course, as anyone would first assume, “would be to double the length and width and this will double the square footage.” (Mitchell, 2015). When the results came to be something the young boy did not expect, it shocked the boy, causing him gasps. “When Socrates persists with his questions, the boy next reasons that a dimension between 2 and 4—namely, 3—might yield the desired 8 square feet. Socrates gleamed at this point, as it was viewed as progress, which was proving his method, as the boy now realizes that he does not know the solution and is eager to figure it out.” (Mitchell, 2015). This method was a great example also a great teaching method to what is called the Socratic Method. Another example could be Socrates questioning a religious person about his/her beliefs. One whom has been raised as a Baptist all their life may feel that Baptist is the best, closer to God, most spiritual and most dedicated religion there is. Well, this would be great to question. As you have Catholics, Buddhist…. etc. whom may feel the same way. So being Socrates, I would not set to make him/her wrong, but to get them to seek out answers beyond what they think they know, (my version of removing the horse blinders) to what makes them feel this way, that way allowing them to maybe even prove to themselves that their religion may not be the best of all, but just the best choice for them.

Too acknowledge or be made to see where we are Ignorant or unaware is a step towards gaining more knowledge/wisdom about things we thought we knew almost everything about. “As long as you are confident you know all there is to know, you will not seek the truth, and you may remain happily in error” (Mitchell, 2015, p. 29). The meaning of this is: If a person feels that they are knowledgeable about everything it is to know about why people commit suicide, because they have went to school for it and studied on the subject, one will refuse to seek out other reasons or answers. When one is questioned and made to think outside the box and made to seek out other answers, outside of what school has thought them, this is when the Socrates Method comes in handy.

Questions like:

Do you believe that a person will kill himself for no reason?

What in your opinion can cause a person to commit suicide?

Will this ever be the main reason that one will commit suicide?

Will a person ever blame another for their suicide?

If so, is it logical that one can be held responsible for that suicide?

Can one be forced to commit suicide?

Can this ever be the number 1 reason many commit suicide?

Can murders be made to look like a suicide?

Do you believe that maybe 50% of the reported suicides may have been caused by another person?

Could the last person whom committed suicide, have viewed their life in the Artichoke view? May have thought their life was empty. Less meaningful. Maybe no soul or core, not worth leaving anymore. Maybe not enough truth about the real meaning of their life. Maybe believing that we don’t control our own beings, maybe thinking we need a source of being to become the person we should/want to be. We are our own person, rather it be believing in God, Soul, Core, we can become whom we want to be. We must just work at it and believe in ourselves. We must understand that leaving here at the will of our own hands, is not the answer. The world offers many challenges and changes, be an Artichoke and change and adapt, in my opinion that’s the only way, and I’m a religious person.

REFERENCE:

Mitchell, H. (2015). Bookshelf Online. [online] Digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu. Available at: https://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/#/books/9781305533844/cfi/6/2!/4/2@0:0.00 [Accessed 16 Aug. 2018].